A 24-year-old woman was arrested after police say she left her four children unsupervised for more than 24 hours while she traveled to Mexico.
Cassandra Leigh Esparza was charged with four counts of abandoning or endangering a child, a state jail felony.
On Feb. 13, the Odessa Police Department Criminal Investigation Person’s Unit received a notification from Child Protective Services that a 9-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl, a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old girl were unsupervised and left home alone for more than 24 hours while their mother, Esparza, traveled to Mexico, the OPD probable cause affidavit stated.
Witnesses stated they received a phone call from one of the children asking for help because they didn’t have water, food and were scared, the affidavit detailed. Witnesses also stated they went to check on the children and found all four children to be filthy, no stove, microwave, no food or drinks.
Witnesses also reported the 4-year-old girl appeared to be very sick with a cough, wheezing and shortness of breath, the affidavit stated. Witnesses also stated they attempted to contact Esparza multiple times, but it was going straight to voicemail.
The 9-year-old boy was interviewed and he stated that his mother, Esparza, left them home alone while she went to Mexico, the affidavit stated. The affidavit detailed that Esparza instructed her children to stay inside the home and left them with snacks (chips, chocolate and candy) to eat while she was gone.
Esparza was arrested and booked into the Ector County Law Enforcement Center on March 8, jail records show. She has four bonds totaling $24,000 and was still in custody as of Friday morning.
